


Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

by agnesgrey



Category: Jessica Jones (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Trans Character, Friendship, Gen, Jessica Jones Season 3 Spoilers, Post-Canon, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 09:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19422901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agnesgrey/pseuds/agnesgrey
Summary: Fillfor the prompts "Malcolm running Alias Investigations" and "Malcolm and Gillian coming to terms with each other. Gillian handling him in her own inimitable style" at sholio'sDefender's Prompts Fest.





	Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chelseagirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseagirl/gifts).



> This story is dedicated to Aneesh Sheth, a trans actress who plays the first recurring trans character in the Marvelverse, Gillian on season three of Jessica Jones. Read interviews with her [here](https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/meet-two-new-characters-coming-to-marvel-s-jessica-jones-season-3) and [here.](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/marvels-jessica-jones-aneesh-sheth-interview-netflix-not-about-trans-narrative/)

Malcolm had slouched down the hall in last night's T-shirt and pants -- he didn't feel up to showering and dressing all over again just to go two doors away -- barely awake, so that was his excuse for not noticing that the door to Alias Investigations was ajar until he reached for the handle. The door swung further open, and he saw the window shades were pulled all the way up, revealing scrubbed glass, the floor was neatly swept, and there was a delicious odour of perking coffee just coming to another boil. He stepped inside and said "Ah" when he saw Gillian seated at her desk, eyes fixed on him, hands neatly folded, [Le Pliage tote](https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/longchamp-large-le-pliage-tote/3241956?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FAccessories%2FHandbags%20%26%20Wallets&color=saffron) standing to attention on the desktop next to them.

Malcolm scrubbed at the back of his neck, embarrassed by his stained shirt and general resemblance to Jess on a morning-after. "Uh. Morning."

Without blinking, Gillian said, "You need me. I know where everything is. And I'm getting a raise."

Malcolm nodded again, slowly, as if he were thinking it over (as if he had a choice). "Coffee come extra, or you throw that in for free?"

Gillian cast down her eyes, which showed off her long fake eyelashes and the dark bronze eyeshadow traced along her lid line, ending in a small cat's eye flick at the outer corners. Malcolm figured if she could manage perfect makeup at whatever ungodly hour she'd probably gotten up, she could handle Jessica's files no problem. She smiled at the ugly scarred fake wood desktop and unfolded her hands, stretching out her fingers. (Her nail polish was the same bronze as her eyeshadow, with a little more glitter.) "Oh, I think you can afford good coffee."

Malcolm gave in, not having the energy to put up a fight against someone who'd brushed their teeth without even needing to. "For now, anyway." He was torn between going back to his place to throw on a new shirt -- one with buttons, _all_ the buttons, even -- and inhaling as much of that coffee as he could, but the smell seemed to lift him off his feet and draw him along against his will, like in an old cartoon. That was definitely not Jessica's can of Folger's that had been there since he'd known her. "You bought something -- new? Yourself?"

Gillian smiled fully at him, opening the bottom drawer to stow her bag away and flicking her laptop on at the same time with the other hand. "To celebrate our grand re-opening, Valhalla Java." Malcolm opened his mouth to protest but she went on, "Fully tax-deductible as a _de minimis_ fringe for us, as an office expense. See? You need me."*

*I'm pretending Trump's tax reform never happened, you are free to join me


End file.
